1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to a novel ignition promoter; a process for preparing said ignition promoter which comprises removing cellulose from biomass and thereafter nitrating at least a portion of the remainder; and a fuel suitable for use in internal combustion engines containing an alcohol and said novel ignition promoter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is much interest in developing alternate fuels for internal combustion engines and the like, particularly for compression-ignition engines, for example Diesel engines, because of the high cost of fuels from petroleum, environmental reasons, etc. Among the materials that have received considerable attention, especially for Diesel engines, are the lower alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, etc., particularly methanol, since it can easily be obtained from the large coal reserves available in many Western countries. Unfortunately, methanol or ethanol, alone, have low cetane numbers, 3 and 15, respectively, and therefore poor compression-ignition characteristics, making them unsuitable for use in Diesel engines. It is known that ignition improves can be added to lower alcohols to make them suitable for use in Diesel engines. We have discovered a novel composition, using a novel procedure for preparing the same, that can be incorporated into such alcohols as ignition promoters therefor to prepare novel fuels.